To not know if I'm doing something wrong (dog related)

[Sunsoottitsoot]

I walk my dog in the park next to my flat and I'm not sure if I'm breaching dog etiquette.

I keep her on the lead at all times as I'm in a city, I'm fairly new to dog ownership and I dont want her to run away.

Every day someone with an enormous dog (not the same one) will have it off the lead and it will come up to us. My dog barks (we have training booked but it doesnt start till the end of the month) which isnt great but the other dog always then follows us. Often the owners continue walking/running in the opposite direction and I'm left to deal with their dog.

What am I doing wrong? Other than training, how do I avoid this situation? I picked my dog up tonight because she was terrified but the other dog didnt back off and I was getting worried I would get bitten by it.

This isnt just one dog, if it was I'd just walk somewhere else to avoid it. I dont know how to handle it, I always end up apologising, but surely given I keep my dog on a lead I'm not the one who should apologise?

Well done for letting her say hello. It will make a big difference.

Of course dogs should be well trained but many aren't so you are doing the right thing teaching your dog to socialise.

Mine started getting antsy at being on the lead when other dogs were free and running up to her, so I made the decision to let her off the lead (it's a secure field where only dog walkers go), if I see another dog enter on the lead I put her on the lead or take her in the opposite direction so they don't meet (luckily enough she's fairly blind). She's much much happier meeting other dogs this way, I suppose they're fairly well pitched if they are both on, or both off the lead. She's naturally very submissive but was becoming much less so being kept on the lead and meeting other dogs who were off the lead, she has now returned to being submissive when meeting other dogs. I felt I was running the risk of her developing an aggressive stance if I had persisted in keeping her on the lead much longer. Her recall is now excellent too and being allowed of the lead at that point (when she was 5 months, she is now 6 months) seemed to aid in that as she still very much wants to stay close by (even when exploring in the woods!)
What also helped was having friends with dogs and socialising with them initially, so her first few times off the lead were with a dog she already new and had developed a friendship with and whose behaviour when off the lead she would copy (e.g, good recall!)

Another option is the Voice of Doom... but you'll need to prepare YOUR dog for this so it doesn't upset them, so just pair the VoD with a scatter of high value treats, at home, in the garden, then in the park when its quiet, before trying it on an actual incoming dog. Something like a big deep NO! Or even a SIT! can help.
This. I was coming on to suggest this. It has worked for me quite a lot - just harness your inner Hyacinth Bucket. Also (someone may have said this already), don't try walking away with your dog's back towards the oncoming dog as your dog will feel very vulnerable. Stop and confront oncoming dog - you can stand between it and your dog. Don't wave your hands around - just do the voice of doom thing and look strong and immovable!

Yesterday my (staffy) onlead dog and I passed an off lead dog that had attacked mine out of the blue previously in the same forest. My dog was perfectly quiet and normal and she and I watched in disbelief as the dog (about 15 feet away, walking next to its owner) spotted us, went immediately into panther mode, head down, and raced straight towards us to attack my dog again. Fortunately, it was already muzzled so no harm could be done but the owner was useless. She had leashed her other muzzled (Saluki) dog, which looked perfectly quiet and inoffensive but I can't IMAGINE why she hadn't leashed this angry old terrier as well. If we meet her again, the voice of doom is coming out and then I'll give the dog's owner the benefit of my opinion afterwards.

You're not in the wrong, the other dog owner is.

My dog is ancient, half-blind and half-deaf, and I walk him on the lead. I am sick to the back teeth of people letting their dog bounce all over him with a tinkly little laugh that 'it's ok, my dog is friendly' or 'Fido, come! Fido! Fido! Why aren't you listening to mummy? You're such a silly dog today, he's not normally like this'.

Not a very interesting thread to update, but thought I would.

Took my dog to a behaviourist/dog trainer who specialises in her breed. The upshot is given her size I shouldn't be letting her off lead anyway, picking her up if a large dog is intimidating her and look likely to attack/greet her exuberantly is exactly the right thing to do and I need to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm socialising her with other dogs her size and shes too old now to do proper training in a class.

Thanks all for advice.